V IE T N A M Red China e hnrged today th'lt thoso wore Chineso Migs -- th1t battled U . S . Navy Jets yesterduy ove r the Ton k ln G ulf . T he a eri al do fi e ht thu s app arently th e f ir s t Chine s e-Amer i can a i r cl a sh s inc e th e Korean War. Radio Pe klne a s s e rting that the Chinese Mlgs attacke the American jets -- when they vioJated Chinese air space over the island of Halnan. The Chinese as s erting that the American planes launched two guided missiles at the Mig interceptors then fled in panic. One of the missiles -- said to have accidentally aowned one of our own planes. -- ..-(;,,,~ The American version A- a good deal different. G\~, ~# we- say the battle took p l ace over Vietnamese territory -- ,A about thirty-five miles from Hainan. The American jets -- part of a m:issive a ir strike against Communist North Viet Nam. ~ the American a i r m e n ~ /\ lt was the Chinese who fled after a brief exchange of fire. One of the enemy aircraft spouti n g flames -- as it escaped VIET NAM - 2 into the clo•Jds . Indeed , the Defense D epa rtment implying late today -- that the American aircraft. dld not pursue t h enemy Mlgs --"y for one reason alone: so a:: not to violate Chinese air space. Assistant Defense Secretary Sylvester emphasizing, however, that "our forces -- are alwnys authorized to defend themselves . " MINH FOLLOW VIET NAM Jftl r Meantim e , President Ho Chi f'1 in h. of North Viet Nam today rejected Pres idont Johnson I s pr · oposal for peace talks -- without prior conditions. There can b e no talks - · - said. the Communist chief -- until the U.S. withdr aw s its forces from Viet Nam -- and onds its attacks on Communist territory,. That 1{~ from President ~ of Commu n i st Mo rt h Viet Nam . ;\ FLOODS Moro than c1e,cn thousand persons driven from thoir homes today -- by record-breaking floods in Minnesota, Iowa and Wisconsin. Heavy rains and the run-off from melting snow pourine into rivers already swollen by April storms. The city of North Mankanto, Minnesota -- on the Jt,C ~ Minnesota River -- t o n i g h t ' s ~ danger point. Five I thousand of that community's six thousand residents -- have now been evacuated. The reet ma.inly volunteers -- manning the dikes. Dikes that still protect the town -- but just barely. BIRD The Early Dlrd ~atelllte -- Am rica• ~ first switchboard 1n the ~ky zlpned into a near i ■ --••-perfect station ary orbit today high over the Equator. The Early Bird now synchronized with the rotation of the earth -- so that it seems to hang in space . One more key test -- coming up tonight. An attempt ~ ~ · ~ J l i t , to alter slightly -- i t ~ - t h e Equator. When that's done -- the Early Bird will be ready for business. The Comsat satellite to start relaying telephone calls -- from the United States to Europe -- within a few days. Its first demonstration of intercontinental television transmi~slon .. scheduled for May Second. BERLIN That Berlin blockade -- almost at an end tonight -- maybe. A Soviet spokesman in Berlin declaring today -- that Communist harrassment of airplanes flying the Berlin corridor -- to end promptly at midnight. The end of the blockade apparently to coincide with the wind-up of Russian military maneuvers -- along the city's access routes. But in the meantime -- some more last-minute aggravation. The Communists tonight closing the main highway -- between Berlin and West Germany; and interfering with rail traffic for the first time -- 1n this long week of harrassment. GERMAN A top aide to former Chancellor -Koored Adenauer of west Germany was sentenced to two yeare in prison today. Erich Helbig -- once the senior staff officer in the west German White House -- convicted of s pying for the Communists. Helbig said to have been of tremendous potential value to Communist Intel l igence -- because of his key position in the Adenauer government. However, the sentence comparatively light -- because he fed the communists a lot of fake reports -- in an effort to secure more money. West German Counter-Intelllge : nce agents describing Helbig as -- "a bumbling > spy -- driven only by greed." CARDINAL Death cam today -- to he head of the largest Roman catholic Archdiocese in America. Albort Cardinal Meyer of Chicago -- born the ~on of a Milwau~e grocer. At his death the spiritual leader of m(re than two million Catholics in the Chicago area. He was sixty-one. DARNELL Actress Linda Darnell -- one of Hollywood's brightest stars in the late 1 Thirties and 'Forties -- reported near death tonight in a Chicago hospital. Miss Darnell -- burned over eighty-five to ninety per cont of her body -- in a fire today at the Chicago home of her ex-agent -- Mrs.Richard Curtis -- with whom she was visiting. The actress apparently overcome by smoke -- and engulfed in flames -- while trying to locate Mrs. Curtis• sixteen-year-old daughter. Unbeknownst to her -- the child had already leaped to safety. BEARS the other nlght--I mentioned the plight or the blue whale--almost extinct. Now 1t•s the polar bear. Monarch or the North--1mperiled by a new breed of white hunter. ln the old days--a polar bear hurt involved ti•, money, and often--coarage. How professional guide1 track down the polar bear by airplane--s01D1ti•a running one until he 1a exhausted. The plane landa--the hunter Juape out and 1hoote him. A so-called "guaranteed k111"--uaed to coat about twenty-rive hundred dollars; today as little as rive hundred. Nost or the1e outside the t•lve-■ile lt■lt--10 Alaskan hunting regulations are or no etrect. As a result-- Alaskan authorities are pressing tor an international treaty. The Unittd itates, Canada, the Soviet Union, lorwa1, 91den and oreenland--all urged to Join in the ertort. It they soon don•t--the warning 1P clear. Another great beaet w111 • - have vanished rorever--trom the race or the earth. SAMARITAN Scholars from three continents met in Chicago today -- in an attempt t o define the role of the Good Samaritan 1n modern society. The consensus -- there ought to be a law. A law requiring one person to stop and render aid to another -- in time of emergency. The scholars noting that France, Germany and l other countries that have adopted such laws -- have found them to work "reasonably well." At least one dissenting vote, however, From Charles e:r Gregory -- a professor of law at the University or Virginia. reluctant Gregory observing that people ar~t•\'•at~o help other people in distress -- primarily because they don't want to get involved. An attitude he called -- morally repugnant. But -- said he -- you can't legislate charity, altruism and courage. ~~ ~h.:ll.fl-l~!d4,m;;.-11aa---...t11Jiiam~...-til! suspect he I e r 1ght J FRANCE France determined to regain s01119 or its lost tourist trade. New government regulations with better hotels expected to provide service in at least two foreign 1anguage1--one English. Also, the so-called "luaury hotels"--eupply 1oap 1n their bathro011s; bed lamps, outlets tor electric razors and adequate 11ght1ng--all •ndatory. And bJ n1net11n- 1effnt1--or, the1•re ott the 11et. Abwt tl•, don•t JOU think?